It's not just salt. State officials are also dealing with tight propane supplies and problems with water distribution systems. But, dealing with an expected salt shortage is a priority.

"We don't hold back on keeping the roads clear that's not an option," said Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Chuck Wolfe.

The state already has spent $27 million of a $30 million annual budget to deal with snow and ice.

And if the KYTC has to go to the spot market to buy more salt, Wolfe said, "Three years ago we ended up spending altogether $74 million on snow and ice. It wasn't all salt, but a lot of that was salt."

The state began with 320,000 tons of salt. As of Tuesday, crews already had spread 283,000 tons. The state has 60,000 tons tucked away at the Mega Cavern if needed on an emergency basis.

"We the Transportation Cabinet have a solid responsibility to keep our interstates, parkways, major thoroughfares open. We have to keep commerce flowing through," said Wolfe.

Meanwhile, Kentucky Emergency Management is dealing with a nationwide shortage of propane gas, which right now is impacting the poultry industry in western Kentucky.

The on-again-off-again frigid weather is causing water systems to fail.

Residents in Greenup County are without water. Five thousand Ashland residents are dealing with no water while the rest of the city is boiling water.

"We are probably going to see it continue until March, at least. As the thawing continues, we will see the infrastructure fail," said Charles O'Neal, assistant director of Kentucky Emergency Management.

While this year is bad, it's nowhere near 2011, when the state spent $74 million on ice and snow removal.